Third floor: Puppy love

Claire

I followed him. Blast my luck but I followed the running werewolf. He knew about me, he had seen the men trying to get a hold of me that night on the street. I didn’t want him to ask and learn, but I wanted to make sure he hadn’t heard anything.

Before I could know, I had climbed the stairs, bolted straight through the corridor which was leading on the right to the living room and quickly turned left, following him to the curving stairs, which were leading to the next three floors. “Wait!” I shouted again and vaguely I heard Todd and Elfas shouting behind me.

When I finally reached the third floor, the door had just slammed closed. I stopped right in front of it, breathing hard. I leaned to my knees and took deep breaths, smiling under my rapid breathing. “You really run fast.” I looked at the closed wooden door. “Please open the door.”

“Claire!” Todd shouted and suddenly I was whisked up from the waist and thrown on Todd’s shoulder, caveman style. “You shouldn’t be here. The pup has just returned.”

“Put me down Todd!” I slapped his shoulders but he simply walked away from the werewolf’s door. Elfas stood at the top of the stairs watching us carefully. “Why did you follow him?” he asked.

I could tell them. But then suspicion would make everything harder. I needed this job, not for the money but for the safety they could provide. And if I could free them, then maybe they would help me too. “I wanted to meet him. He appeared suddenly while I was at the gym.” I lied.

Elfas nodded. “He always goes down there after his trips to the city.”

“Yes, he is a lucky ass.” Todd said as he walked down the stairs.

I growled “Put me down Todd.”

“Oh come on you are not heavy.”

I smacked his head from behind. “You thought I was heavy?”

“Why women always comment on their weight?” Todd sighed in a theatrical manner.

“Don’t ask me. I prefer them lean.” Elfas answered behind us.

“I like them curvy in all right places.” I heard Todd smile as he drawled on his words.

“You are disgusting. Both of you.” I spat and my feet touched the floor.

Todd smiled as he messed with my short hair. “Oh we know Claire, but now we have someone to mess with.”

“With all due respect of course.” Elfas said behind Todd and they both laughed.

I gave them the middle finger and closed the door of my room to their faces.

“Men, even the supernatural ones…” I pulled off my tee and headed to the bathroom. The water warm as it fell on my skin but I was still feeling cold. Lethinia’s life, Fred’s words and the werewolf were too much drama for one day.

When I got out and pulled a baggy long sleeved shirt from the wardrobe, I jumped on the bed and under the covers. It had been a while since I had fallen asleep, not making sure if I was followed. But I still never turned my back from the door.

I dreamed of teeth, jaws opening into a similar way of the shark movie, sinking on my flesh, blood pouring everywhere. But I wasn’t screaming, I was smiling, because I wanted the pain. It was my punishment for what I had done, what I couldn’t stand to do.

“Bad girl.”

“Weak.”

“You are as a monster as I am.”

“NO!”

I thrashed and kicked, trying to keep the jaws away. The voice never stopped repeating the word ‘monster’ again and again. Hands suddenly gripped and warmth enveloped me. I cried out loud and kick again, but the warmth never left me.

Finally I calmed, the jaws disappeared and strangely I dreamed of Todd throwing slices of pizza to Elfas who was pinned on the ceiling.

The next morning I woke up feeling like the zombie apocalypse had just passed over my brain. And what do you tell; the dark circles waved me ‘hello’ from the bathroom’s mirror. I groaned as I brushed my teeth, wore a fresh pair of jeans and a long sleeved purple jumper and headed to the kitchen.

“What the hell?” Elfas shouted as I came into the kitchen.

And stopped dead.

The werewolf was wearing an apron. And he was making omelet with bacon.

My eyes just fell to the floor.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you torturing these creatures?” Elfas pointed at the frying pan.

The werewolf growled without looking over his shoulder. Elfas was sitting on his chair and his gaze was furious. “They are already dead Elfas.” I muttered.

They looked at me. Elfas glared but the werewolf glanced at me then stared at the bacon and eggs as if willing them to grow feet and run away. “Morning Elfas. You are up early.”

“I finally found some time with my pup and he is spoiling it.” He pointed at the back of the werewolf, who surprisingly was wearing a black sleeveless tee and dark blue khaki pants. It was really strange.

I walked closer and opened the fridge, which made me brush the left arm of his. A deep inhaling was heard and I looked up as I pulled the OJ. “I am Claire.” Those impossible blue eyes turned on me and I saw his nostrils flare. The werewolf turned the frying pan on the waiting plate and emptied the eggs and bacon.

He ate a lot; ten eggs and quite lot bacon too. After placing the plate on the table, he opened the cupboard and took out an empty glass, placing it on the counter near me. He looked up and his ears twitched as he said, “Jericho Nolan.”

“Oh.” Who the hell said ‘oh’? Snap out of it!

“If you are done with the introductions, please make my breakfast Claire.” Elfas spoke as he took another sip from his cup.

Jericho pulled the iron stool and sat. The way he moved was really in contrast with his body and height as if he was measuring every time his movements. I pulled my gawking gaze from him and turned to the Elf. “Since when do I make breakfast? You have a nice pair of hands over there. Please make good use of them.”

A sound escaped from Jericho. Had he just snorted?

“My dear Claire, may I remind you your place in this house?”

I smiled sweetly as I sat near Jericho, filling my glass with OJ. “May I remind you how quickly Todd beat you yesterday?”

Elfas stood up, took his cup and with a superior glance he left the kitchen. I sighed and sipped my juice, a little uncomfortable with the mass of muscles and fur next to me.

“Do you want some?” his deep voice startled me and I looked up at him.

“Sorry?”

He pointed at the plate; my stomach grumbled at the idea of bacon and I noticed Jericho’s ears twitching. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” He stood and came back with a fork, placing the plate between us.

“Thank you.” I took a bite and almost moaned. This was really good. “My thanks to the chef.”

“Noted.” Jericho replied and another bite disappeared. How could he chew with such a muzzle? Unless werewolves were only wolf like I could have sworn he was acting like human.

We ate silently but I was alert. From any moment he could turn and began asking questions about that night at the city. But when we were done, Jericho got up, took the plate and my glass and put them into the dishwasher. I could tell that he was guarding himself, just like I did. And this constant silence was a real mood killer.

I squirmed on my seat. “Have you been here long?”

From the way his shoulders tightened I guessed that wasn’t a good thing.

“Ninety-eight years.” He turned and gazed at me. “Why are you smelling of blood?”

I was taken aback and looked at him as if he had shot me. “How…how do you know that?”

“Good sense of smell.” He pointed on his muzzle. “You fought well that night. But the way they had spoken at you meant that they knew you. So who the hell are you?” he voice dropped into a growl and his lips curled up, showing part of his fangs.

I got up from the stool, knowing that I wouldn’t escape even if I tried. I rubbed my hands trying not to show fear. Jericho would see it. “I am no one. I used to be someone one year ago, but now I am… no one.”

“That’s the craziest bullshit I’ve ever heard.”

“What do you want me to say? You don’t know shit about me and I am going to stay here as long as it takes to solve the curse.”

Jericho crossed his long arms on his chest, making the muscle curl and shook his wolf head. “You’re lying. You are hiding here.”

“Well, thanks to Mrs. Jinx I am now. Deal with it wolf boy.” I passed him and walked out.

“Answer me this then.”

I paused on the doorway. “What?” I looked over my shoulder.

“Have you killed anyone?”

My breathing fastened and I tightened my hands into fists. I would not cry. I would not cry. Jericho made a move to step towards me but he stopped. His blue eyes widened but he said nothing. “No. But because of me someone died.”

The rest of the day, which was still rainy and foggy as hell, passed fast. I tried not to be inside too long. Jericho was making me uncomfortable and even Elfas would be a nice distraction, if he wasn’t pondering me about the advantages of turning the planet into a rainforest or his theories about dinosaurs holding machine guns.

Lethinia was much better. I spent two hours cleaning the area around her from the dead leaves, talking almost about anything. The world, movies, even makeup. I never wore makeup. I sat on one of the overgrown roots of the willow and looked up at the curved woman. “I met the werewolf today. He wore an apron.”

Lethinia’s head titled back and her mouth opened as if she was laughing. Her branches moved, shaking. “His presence is… unsettling Lethinia. Like he knows many things but never shares anything. Not even Todd has made me feel like that.”

Her branches formed the same figures I had already seen: the flying bird, the moving keys and the final shape who I guessed was Jericho.  “So what do you say? Jericho knows how to break the curse?”

Lethinia shook her head ‘no’.

“I really wish you could speak right now.” I sighed.

Lethinia nodded.

I got up and brushed the back of my jeans. I had to go back inside unless I wanted to end up like an icicle. Lethinia’s branches touched my cheeks and hair and curled around my gloved hands. I looked up at her and smiled. “You know, you look much better, when you are not trying to kill me.”

The branches shook and a hiss was heard behind me. When I got out from the willow, Jericho was standing a few feet away. His breaths were coming out fogged and his fur looked shiny from the stray droplets. I frowned. “What?”

“I…uh…”

I crossed my hands over my chest and tried to ignore Lethinia’s poking branches on my back.

“I wanted to apologize. I asked you about things… too soon and…” he played with his claws, like someone does when he is nervous. “I am sorry… Claire.”

My name sounded… soft coming from him. I nodded, trying to hold onto the strange feeling of wanting to hear him say my name again. “It’s fine, for now.”

“If you want to talk, I can listen. I’ve been listening to Todd moping about his fiction vampires for 8 years.”

I couldn’t stop it. I laughed. I laughed with the idea of a werewolf psychologist and with the possibility of having a friend. No one had ever asked me to talk for my problems, my fears. Which meant everything. To Jericho, I glanced up and rubbed my face, still grinning. “That must have been hard for you Jericho.”

His eyes widened and he scratched the back of his wolf head. “You have no idea.”

We walked back to the house and Jericho opened the door for me, stepping aside. My eyebrow lifted. “Just for the record, I am not used on this” I moved my finger back and forth with the gesture “I prefer to be independent.”

His lips curled revealing gleaming white fangs. Jericho really was taking seriously his personal hygiene. “Judging by the way you broke the score on the treadmill, it was worth a try.”

I rolled my eyes as I pulled by boots off, placing them on the shoe case on our right. Jericho shook his body, making all the raindrops fall to my left side. “Hey!” I turned at looked at him.

“Oops?” he asked in an unapologetically way.

“Do you do that every time you get into the house?”

“Well, technically I come down from the roof, so I haven’t used the door.”

I gapped at him. “Seriously?”

“Yes. So what are going to do?”

“About what?”

“The global warming. I mean the curse.” Jericho pointed as we walked towards the living room.

I continued to the library and I could hear Jericho’s pawns as he walked behind me. The scent of paper and wood made me grin. On the year I was on the run, libraries had worked as a good hideout, not to mention sleeping option. And since I was locked in with books, I had taken the liberty to read some.

“You’ve been reading the diaries?” Jericho asked surprised.

Without turning at him, I sat on the big armchair on the study and ruffled through the pages of Elfas’s journal. “Don’t worry, I haven’t read yours…yet.”

“Then I should hide the ones with the gore details.” He said and took the seat opposite me.

I looked up. “Don’t think you can discourage me Jericho. So far, I saw a vampire drinking blood with marshmallows and an Elf with a tendency for poop tea.”

“Oh crap, you drank Elfas’s tea?”

I shuddered with the thought and groaned. “I’ve been brushing my teeth like a maniac.”

Jericho’s eyes lightened and laughed. It felt more like a happy bark since his mouth opened and he titled his head up, banging his fist on the table. I grinned and turned back to the books. I closed the one in front of me and opened the next one in the pile. An entry caught my attention.

Today a werewolf appeared on the doorway. He was covered in blood and was howling in frenzy. Todd and I helped him into the third floor but the boy didn’t speak. His eyes took some time to change but the strangest of all was the fact that he couldn’t revert back to his human body.

“Claire?”

I slammed the journal closed and looked up. “Yes?”

He looked at me for a moment, his face contorted into a frown, before turning to the door of the library. “I was thinking about tonight.”

“Tonight?”

He turned and looked at me. “I am the only one of the three who can get out at night. Would you like to come?”

I got up and started to gather the journals. Could I get out? What would happen to the others if I did? And what did Elfas meant on his entry about Jericho? The thoughts made me groan but I turned and glanced at Jericho. He was still sitting on the study waiting for my answer patiently. He was really well composed for his nature. I had always thought that werewolves were more… wild.

“As long as there isn’t any problem leaving Elfas and Todd behind; I can come with you.” That would also be a good chance to learn more about him.

Jericho’s ears twitched the silver hoop on his ear moving and I saw his tail behind him hitting the floor, like a happy puppy. I stifled a laugh. “You really don’t fear me, don’t you?”

I walked closer, taking in his build and power. He could easily tear my throat open or even tear me apart limb by limb. But Jericho was also carrying an air of sadness and discomfort. I bet he would prefer running free and wild rather than stay closed into the four walls. “No, I don’t. But you know Jericho? Sometimes, the worst monsters are not the ones who look monstrous. The worst ones are those we hide within ourselves.”

I watched Jericho breathe deeply, until he slowly got up and kneeled in front of me, his muzzle touching my feet. “Jericho, what are you doing?”

He didn’t say anything but instead his ears fell down to his head and his eyes closed. I stood still unsure of his action.

“When will it go to spanking? You know I love it.” Todd suddenly spoke from the doorway.

We both turned, I swearing and Jericho growling. Todd was smiling at us with his multicolored hair shining unnaturally around him and his eyes glowing. And what do you know, he was shirtless. “I get to wake up pretty early and I find my pup wiggling his tail with the girl. That’s soooo sweet.” He drawled the last words.

“A stake at your heart would be really sweet right now.” I pulled back from Jericho and walked towards him. “And please wear a shirt. You make my eyes bleed.”

“What?” Todd almost shouted, probably not believing in his ears. “Did you hear her J? She has the man candy right in front of her and doesn’t want a taste?”

“What can I say? She has much better tastes. Just like a she-wolf.”

I grinned at Jericho’s words but didn’t turn to see him. I had something to discuss with Elfas.

--------------

Elfas answered with a shout as I opened the door to his room. I knew that each floor was a vast apartment on its own but I never expected them to be so big. The walls were covered with ivies and vines, flourishing with flowers exotic and colorful. I did notice some carnivorous plants and slowly I stepped away from them. Ebony and wood were the main parts of his furniture and on the left side of the floor a wide balcony door stood. The view was towards the willow.

“In what do I own your presence?” Elfas spoke from the divan he was sitting. He was clothed in robes and a leather tome was on his lap. I could see the blank pages. He was writing yet another journal.

I sat across him and leaned forward. “I want to know more about Jericho.”

Elfas shrugged. “Ask him yourself.”

“It seems that he doesn’t want to talk to me. And Todd is way too engrossed into his vamp novels.”

Elfas closed his journal and leaned back. There were two doors at the far end of his wide living room, probably leading into his bedroom. I looked back at him.

“Werewolves may seem secretive to the mortals but they are a loyal race. There have been even mating between vamps and weres in the centuries.”

I calculated my words. “Do you know why Jericho became an outcast?”

For the first time I noticed Elfas’s eyes becoming sadder, the silver on his irises darkening; he got up and walked into a pot, where thick big leaves were open like plates. I wondered where all these plants had come from. Elfas pushed the leaves aside and pulled a thick book. He motioned for me to sit beside him and placed the book between us. “Before I say anything, note that I am doing this only for Lethinia.”

I looked at him and nodded. Elfas opened the book.

It was filled with images of the moon and shapes in various stages of shifting from human to animal. It seemed realistic. “When the first shifter was born, a full moon was shining that night. His name was Krag-twan, the Wolf King. There are records which say that he formed alliances with vamps and Fae and there were also some warlocks who worked with him.

“From his bite you could become a werewolf, but only after you could offer yourself willingly. On the other case, the bite would cause death. The Wolf King created a strong clan which over time spread to the planet. He was hundreds of years old when all the packs would recognize him as the First Ruler.”

Elfas turned the page. A drawing of a woman was taking almost all the page. She wore a black gown and her black, long hair looked like they were swirling on the wind. Her eyes look like sapphires. “She is pretty.”

Elfas sighed. “Who woman isn’t? She is Lora, the woman who became the First Mate of the Wolf King.”

“Wow. She was a human?”

Elfas nodded. “If you were to look at the Wolf King you would see a man at his early twenties. When he met Lora and fell in love with her, he noticed that he would slowly grow older. You see Claire, when a werewolf is born he grows until his eighteen or twenty but then he stops growing.”

“Why?”

“Nobody knows, but many believe that it has to do with the search of a mate. If she is the one a bond will form and the werewolf in question will start to grow. Lora was the one for Krag-twan. Together they ruled for years and their cubs were strong in power and sense.”

He turned more and more pages showing me ways of living into the woods, how the packs were formed and ruled. In some cases there were female werewolves, but the births were rare and if they were born, they would become strong leaders.

“When Lora died of age, they say that the Wolf King took upon his wolf form and howled for days and nights. I have heard Elves commenting that his cries could be heard all over the planet. In the end, his body gave up and his spirit became a protector for all the mates of the werewolves and their children.”

He turned another page. I gasped. It was the picture of a naked baby drawn with vivid detail. Although small, it had pawns instead of hands and toes and his tiny hands were curled in a fist. The baby looked like a newborn puppy, save for the black fur and the tiny muzzle. The tail was curled around him. “Don’t tell me that’s Jericho.”

“He is. You see, in the recent years, the births of the packs have decreased because humans are destroying the forests. In Yellowstone, lives the biggest pack of North America. There are some who work around the country but they do gather there for meetings and rituals of mating. The mates also give birth there.”

“Why would a woman choose to give birth into a forest?” I asked frowning. “Surely there are some werewolves who can be doctors or something.”

Elfas nodded as he touched the drawing. “Indeed. But only when the pup is born into nature his or her werewolf spirit connects with the Wolf King. Now, Jericho was born at the night of the full moon which also marked the anniversary of the 2500 years since the Wolf King’s birth.”

“I was able to learn all these from friends who have kept contact with me. They had said that he was born like this but he didn’t change into his human hide. His parents waited and waited, but nothing happened.”

The book closed and Elfas got up placing it back into its hidden spot. “So what? He can’t become human?”

“Oh he can. But only during the full moon. And when he does, his wolf, the very essence of his soul becomes feral, unavailable to separate friend from foe, family from enemy.”

I sucked a breath; that’s why Jericho was covered in blood the day he came to the house. Whoever banished him surely thought of that as a horrible punishment. I knew that wolves in general worked in packs, but a lone wolf was a sad place to be. Suddenly everything made sense; the way he walked and acted, all were a part of his human self. Everything went backwards with him.

“Imagine Claire, being scolded all your life because you were born wrong, then banished and lose your place into the pack. The boy has lost many things and still wants to find somewhere to belong.”

I got up feeling the realization that we weren’t so different Jericho and I. “Have you seen his human form Elfas?”

“I have and it’s nothing to be proud of.” Elfas walked to the door and opened it for me. “Now out you go, I have yoga in three minutes and herb bath in half an hour.”

Rolling my eyes, I left his room and he closed the door behind me. Wondering about how the wolf could be connected with the curse, I made my way down and found Todd and Jericho in front of a laptop.

“Since when do werewolves wear glasses?”

Jericho looked up, the thin metal around the lenses making him look sophisticated. He grinned. “These are my reading glasses.”

Todd smiled and poked at Jericho. He turned his attention back to the screen. “Oh yes, that’s better.” He spoke with husky voice and I wondered what on earth they were talking about.

“What are you watching?”

“Nothing, we’ve just hacked into the system of US government.”

“What?” I ran and pushed myself closer to Todd, trying to watch at the screen too.

Well, I guess that Mars does have green people after all. Todd snapped the laptop close and got up. Jericho took it from his hands and gently he placed it on the table. “Night is falling. I am going for a drink. Do you need anything kids?”

I groaned and looked at Jericho. “Sometimes I think that I am in diapers again.”

“Sweetie, I invented diapers.” Todd said and scratched his jaw. “Actually I was quite drunk at that time.”

Jericho and I exploded into laughter. I doubled over trying to hide my tears of the hard laugh. When I opened them again Todd was gone, obviously too proud to admit anything more embarrassing about his past. The werewolf was looking at me and then he took his glasses off.

“Let’s go for a run.”

--------------

“So Fred, is it alright for me to leave the estate?” I asked the gargoyle as I pulled the leather jacket around me.

He nodded. “As long as the keys are with you, you can ensure that Todd and Elfas, stay inside. As for Jericho, the boy can go outside, partially because of his connection with nature.” He snapped his snout looking at the exit far across the end of the road.

His amber eyes glowed with longing and I touched the cold stone of his lion head. Footsteps were heard behind me and Jericho appeared on my right. He wore a long black cape with a hood; the edges of the cape were falling on his ankles and his already string build could show to be even more threatening. The funny thing was that the hood had holes for his ears to stick out.

“A fan of ‘Assassin’s Creed’?”

Jericho chuckled. “I have beat Todd in many occasions. The camp will never know my tricks.” He turned and leaned, bringing his face closer to mine. “Climb on.”

I frowned. “On your back?”

“You can hold on. I will not go fast.” Amusement coated his deep voice.

“Fred do you want anything from the outside?”

“Nah, I will keep guard instead. But be careful. I heard rain will start to fall.” He looked at the darkening sky.

I placed my hands on Jericho’s back and I straddled his back. There was nothing but pure muscle below me and the fact that he could also have a human form made me blush. I never blushed, especially over a wolf. That was ridiculous. I leaned over Jericho and grabbed his shoulders as tightly as I could. His back tensed for a moment then his shoulder blades moved slowly in circles. “Comfortable?” I asked and he trembled from laughter.

With no answer, suddenly I was pulled forward, as Jericho began running. Although he could walk like a human, his running was on fours. And he was really fast; was that his lower speed? If it was true I would never want to be hunted down by him. Quickly, we left the mansion behind; with me not daring to talk in fear for biting my tongue while Jericho, without getting tired, ran faster and faster.

The town’s outskirts came to focus. But he made a wide turn, jumping into the forest and then climbing on the treetops. He stopped at last and I clamped my legs around his waist, trying not to fall down. Jericho’s arm circled my back, pushing me higher and closer to his neck; thankful I pressed my palm on the base of his neck. “That was really fast.” I muttered, trying to catch my breath.

“Now the funny part begins.” He leaned, ready to run again. “Hold on tight Claire.”

He took off and I left a sudden cry of surprise. We jumped on the roofs of the buildings, glided through the empty spaces between apartments until Jericho pushed his way up to the oldest building of the town. When I had first arrived I had noticed the abandoned five stories building. On the daylight the peeled walls and fallen roof were making look harmless, but at night it transformed into something far more dangerous.

Jericho entered from an opening and leaned down, helping me climb off him. My feet felt like jelly for a moment and I leaned on my knees, trying to breathe again. When I looked up, Jericho had already pulled down his hoodie and was staring at me. His eyes glowed azure in the dim light from the outside, making me shiver from the expectation of my answer. “I would never want to be your prey.”

“Noted. I wouldn’t want to be your predator either.”

He walked closer to the edge of the floor and looked out. From this point anyone could see the lights of the city and the clouded sky above. I wondered how people could continue living, without knowing that creatures like the ones I had encountered also existed among them. Jericho sat down, his long black tail wiggling slowly behind him.

I took a step and sat near him, but not too close. The silence hung heavy between us. I didn’t know what to say and I could guess that neither Jericho could find something to talk about too. We looked at the city, letting the sounds of cars, voices and walking lure us into a lullaby of the night. I hugged my knees, letting my chin rest on them and sighed.

“Where did you live before coming here?” Jericho asked.

I turned slightly. “Many places, Chicago, New Orleans, you name it. I traveled a lot.”

“But you’ve never settled down.” He said it like a statement, not a question.

“No. You could say that I am a lone wolf.”

“She-wolf to be exact.”

I grinned and rubbed my shoulders. The soft fabric of the cape settled on my shoulders and I looked up. Jericho had come closer to me, letting his cape cover both of us. “Thanks.” I mumbled, letting my self soak into the deep scent of wood, snow and fire.

“I know that you will not speak of your past easily and I understand that completely.” Jericho spoke and I stilled, not daring to look up at him. “I can relate to that. But would you talk to me about it? At some point?”

“If you talk to me about you too, then I would like to.” That would also be a chance to find clues about the curse. “But you should know Jericho; that night you saved me and I am grateful for that.”

“I don’t scare you? Not even a little?”

Pulling the cape around me I left a deep breath rush out, like a puff of smoke. I could feel the steady, deep breathing of Jericho beside me and the crisp wind which had started to blow from the north. “No.” I answered.

“I hope you will feel the same in a few weeks.” His voice sounded sad and I looked up at him. “Then, I wish you would feel the same about me when I speak of my past.” I got up and stretched. “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.”

On the way back, the rain caught with us, making me yell for Jericho to run faster and the werewolf to howl with excitement. When we finally made it to the porch, I jumped down from his back, feeling every fiber of clothing clinging to my body like second skin. “Ugh.” I muttered, looking down at myself.

Jericho simply pulled the cape and shook himself off the rain. I caught Fred watching us with amusement and he offered to help me. I politely declined and opened the door. The corridor was empty and the soft sound of the TV could be heard from the living room.

“Todd must still be up.” Jericho said behind me and I nodded, walking down to the end and straight to my room. I turned around. Jericho was looking at me, his body still while the cape was hung over his shoulder.

“Thank you for tonight.”

He scratched his head. “If you want we could do that again.” He offered hesitantly.

Despite his posture I realized that he too felt uncomfortable with me. “I would like that.”

“Okay.” He said relieved.

“Okay.”

We stood in silence. Why wasn’t he leaving? “Um, you can go now Jericho.”

“After you get into your room.”

I rolled my eyes. “We are not on the 19th century.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

We laughed and for the first time I was enjoying myself. Before this could get more awkward, I opened y door and stepped in. “Good night Jericho.”

Just as I closed the door, I heard him say softly, “Good night Claire.”

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Enjoy the pic of Jericho! Well, at least how I imagine him to be! Please vote/comment!